Hurt in a Nebraska Accident Due to an Hours of Service Violation?
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that truck driver fatigue is a known risk in large commercial truck accidents. Although federal hours of service regulations restrict the number of consecutive hours and hours per week truck drivers are allowed to operate commercial vehicles, surveys indicate that many drivers violate these regulations, putting other motorists on the roadways at risk.
Approximately one out of every 10 traffic deaths occurs in a collision involving a large truck. Truck drivers are far less susceptible to fatal injuries in large truck crashes than the occupants of other vehicles. Ninety-seven percent of the people killed in two-vehicle collisions between large commercial trucks and passenger vehicles in 2014 were occupants of the passenger vehicles. Fatigued driving is a common issue, and tired drivers operating large commercial trucks present a serious safety risk for others.
Vital Necessity of Acting Quickly after a Large Truck Collision
After serious injuries or wrongful death in a large commercial truck accident, it is vital to seek knowledgeable legal representation immediately. Large trucking companies have teams of attorneys and investigators to handle and defend their accident cases. Chances are, within an hour of the accident, the trucking company will have investigators on the scene, collecting evidence to use in the defense against your claim.
Our Omaha truck accident lawyers at Cullan & Cullan LLC are physicians as well as attorneys, with the skills and resources to handle complex commercial trucking accident cases. Our dedicated legal team will conduct a thorough investigation of your accident, securing and preserving evidence to support your claim, including any evidence of hours of service violations. If the truck driver involved in your accident was driving fatigued, we can use that evidence to help build a strong claim for compensation.
Is Truck Driver Fatigue a Major Factor in Large Truck Crashes?
As stated by IIHS, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations prohibit commercial truck drivers from driving more than 11 hours at a stretch or more than 77 hours in a period of 7 days. Nevertheless, fatigued driving still contributes to large commercial truck collisions.
In its Large Truck Crash Causation Study Analysis Brief, FMCSA names driver fatigue as one of the top 10 factors associated with large trucks involved in traffic accidents. The study found that driver fatigue was a contributing factor for 18,000 trucks that crashed (13% of the total). Researchers assigned driver fatigue relative risk importance of 8.0, as compared, for example, to brake problems (2.7) and traveling too fast for conditions (7.7).
Speak With an Omaha Truck Accident Attorney
Our Nebraska personal injury attorneys at Cullan & Cullan LLC have been awarded membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. We have been named among the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and Top 40 Under 40. The driving force behind our impressive record of favorable outcomes is our personal dedication to those we serve. We care about our clients and are committed to helping them get justice, and the compensation they deserve.
We work on a contingency fee basis and you pay us nothing when we represent you in a personal injury matter. Our fees will be paid out of the settlement or verdict at the conclusion of your case. If you have been hurt or lost a loved one in a large truck accident, contact our office at (402) 882-7080 today for a free consultation with no obligation.